SITREPs

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Helicopters DLC status, Firing from Vehicles Dev-Branch

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Let's take a look at the status of Arma 3 Helicopters as a whole. The two new helicopters and their variants are Beta in our internal milestones. The artwork is complete, cockpit instruments configured, crew animations plugged in, and most recently, sound effects enabled. We're very happy with the results, and will keep tweaking them for a solid release. The supporting playable content (some of which is premium content, and other bits will be added to everyone for free), sits somewhere between Alpha and Beta. Our designers are play-testing daily to offer an introduction to beginning helicopter pilots and provide a new multiplayer experience based around aerial logistics. As of yesterday, Firing from Vehicles has been staged to Dev-Branch. This means all three major features complementing the helicopters are in Beta and in testing: RotorLib Flight Dynamics Modeling, Sling Loading and Firing from Vehicles. Your feedback has already helped us improve the first two, and we're tracking your reports on the latest addition. To iterate again, these features are part of a free platform update to Arma 3, not locked to owners of the DLC.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Helicopters release date, Multiplayer update

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The release date for Arma 3 Helicopters has been announced as November 4th of this year. Initially estimated as late September, we've determined we need an extra month of tweaking before the package is splendid. Ahead of release, we will be staging the content on Dev-Branch (more details on how that will work in an upcoming report). Besides the release date, we also unveiled the second brand-new helicopter: Mi-290 Taru. This heavy coaxial utility helicopter fits the CSAT faction well, and brings some unique logistical options to the sandbox in a different way than the CH-67 Huron does. Taru variants make use of the modular design by joining various mission pods to its frame. Alternatively it can carry heavy Sling Loads when flying without pod at all. The mission pods available are: regular closed passenger transport, special-purpose passenger benches, fuel, ammunition, repairs, medevac and cargo. Its advantage over the Huron is the ability to quickly fly supplies as part of its aerodynamic shape, rather than needing to fly more carefully with an externally slung container. On the other hand it has no defensive weapons besides countermeasures. Oh, and since we didn't specifically mention it in the press release: owners of the Supporter Edition will of course get the DLC without extra charge.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Full update testing, Headless Clients

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

After a string of hotfixes, it's time for a beefier 1.32 update soon. Connoisseurs of Dev-Branch will know there has been a lot of development since the last big update. We'd like to synchronize these branches ahead of Arma 3 Helicopters releasing. The three core new features will not yet be part of 1.32! Advanced Flight Modelling, Sling Loading and Firing from Vehicles are still in testing and will be part of the update released alongside the DLC. If you'd like to prepare yourself, your community or your mod for 1.32 - switch to Steam's Release Candidate branch using access code Arma3UpdateOctober132Splendid.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: 1.32 update released, Helicopters Dev-Branch plans

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

We've just pushed the 1.32 update to main branch after over a week of dedicated testing. As you'll see from its gigantic change log, this was mostly about a huge number of smaller fixes and data corrections. The version does also introduce Weapon Inertia and includes a number of useful scripting commands and event handlers. Internally we have now applied our first 'data lock' for Helicopters DLC. That means its development is closing and we're doing testing and fixing only. In the past you may have noticed this also means Dev-Branch updates become a little smaller during that period. That is a good thing. By slowing down development, we enter a period of polishing. It also means we have more time to analyse things like multiplayer even further (based on the logs being gathered from public sessions by server admins across the world).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Helicopters sandbox Dev-Branch, Vortex Ring State, DLC survey results

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

As of yesterday, Dev-Branch users have the first staged version of the Arma 3 Helicopters sandbox content (all assets without the multiplayer scenarios, VR training, showcase or challenges). We'd like to remind you that the DLC has not yet officially released, so there may be ownership issues for some users. That means that even if you own the Supporter Edition or DLC Bundle (and therefore Helicopters DLC), the game will try to convince you that you don't. Please be patient as we try to get that sorted out in the Steam configuration. At the latest, you'll have your ownership come November 4th.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: #MakeArma submissions closed, Launcher updates, Vortex Ring State

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

We've entered the next big phase of the Make Arma Not War contest. The deadline for submitting entries has elapsed at midnight, and it's time to determine the finalists. You can still contribute to this by voting for your favorite Singleplayer entries! Do so by logging into the website using your Steam account, finding the relevant entry, and pressing the 'Vote' button. The recent Steam Free Weekend and huge 50% discount were at least in part organised to get more players to check out entries and vote. You managed to set a new peak of concurrent Arma 3 players during the weekend. We know not everybody is too happy about this new 'demo' approach, but now the dust has settled, we'd like to welcome all new players to the front lines. Enjoy the wealth of content, official and user-made alike!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Helicopters DLC released, 1.34 update released, MP mode "Support"

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Late yesterday afternoon we rolled the Helicopters DLC out of its hangar for

. Of course the 1.34 update contained not just the premium additions, but also the free platform update for everyone. We are very happy to be able to continue supporting the game in this way. By buying the game and DLC you provide us with the opportunity to strengthen, expand and enrich the platform and game. For an in-depth look at what changes arrived with Arma 3 Helicopters and version 1.34, read through the SPOTREP. Modders can do the same for the latest update of sister product Arma 3 Tools in the TECHREP.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: "Support" MP livestream, Community videos

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Senior Designer Jiří Wainar and Creative Director Jay Crowe joined Associate Producer Matt Lightfoot for a livestream event last Friday. After an introduction about Helicopters DLC, they showcased the new "Support" multiplayer mode by playing a few rounds and crashing a lot of aircraft. While they were transporting troops and supplies around the battlefield, some of our other devs tried to answer questions in the chat. A question that popped up a few times was about when players can expect a new official terrain. The answer is: in the expansion, after Marksmen DLC. We have selected its geotype and a prototype of the terrain has been in production for some time. Since the setting is quite different than Altis and Stratis, and indeed very fresh, our artists have also begun creating the loads of new objects and buildings. We are not yet ready to reveal more specifics about the setting. The first details will be probably not be shared until some time into 2015. Visit our Twitch channel archive to view the stream in its entirety, or just go play the mode yourself, on our official servers for example.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update 1.36 plans, Dev Hub feeds

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Our sights are still trained on Marksmen DLC production. More weapons are progressing from wishlist entry to design analysis to concept art to 3D mesh. The first of them have entered the final artwork stages of texturing. After that they are handed off to animators to deal with holding and reloading them. But the DLC and its platform update are still a few months away, so let's take a look at something coming up sooner. Update 1.36 is slated for the beginning of December. While it's a maintenance update, there are some cool things we're hoping to include (depending on testing!).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Unofficial translations, "Support" documentation, Launcher local mods

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

There are not a lot of development updates to report on this week. Marksmen DLC production proceeds at a good pace. We've also taken the first data snapshot for the 1.36 update, and the programmers are preparing their special EXE branch. Once both are combined, the team's embedded QA devs will begin full build tests. They will be assisted by our shared multi-project QA team in Prague, especially for multiplayer. This includes several large-scale sessions involving 30 or more testers, and simulated 64+ client sessions using Headless Client technology. Besides that, we'll likely be requesting your assistance for even larger stress tests (on the CHIMERA test servers). To this effect, you can expect the usual Steam Release Candidate branch to open soon.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Final 1.36 tests, Headless Clients, Workshop Mods

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

We are three Release Candidates into update 1.36 testing and things are looking good. Our programmers are analyzing a few more crash reports, but we hope to be ready for main branch tomorrow (CET). You can join the final stages of testing by opting into the RC branch using access code Arma3Update136RC in the Steam client BETAS tab for Arma 3. This will effectively preload the update ahead of release, even though there may still be more iterations. Be aware that the majority of public servers will not be join-able until they update as well. If you spot a new issue in the RC, please submit it to the Feedback Tracker and clearly mark the version you encountered it in. Thanks!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Internal Marksmen prototype, Update 1.36 released, REPception

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

As we enter the last month of the year, the team is focused on one more 2014 development milestone: the Marksmen DLC sandbox prototype. This means having a final plan for the exact assets and features that we'll finish during the first quarter of 2015. Said plan is backed up by internally playable prototypes. This could mean the first version of a new weapon's model, a scripted prototype of a gameplay feature, a proof-of-concept for a scenario, etc. The feasibility studies should wrap up soon and we'll have go / no-go moments for some of the tech. Having a solid sandbox foundation will later help the designers to use it effectively while developing playable content. We are trying hard to get some very cool stuff in the DLC and accompanying platform update, and it's looking splendid so far!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: 2014 recap, Winter break, Happy holidays!

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Welcome to the last Arma 3 SITuation REPort of 2014! After a turbulent release year in 2013, our team was excited to continue supporting the platform and game this year. Let's quickly run through the major developments: we started by completing the campaign with episodes "Adapt" and "Win". That also meant adding 2 fixed-wing CAS aircraft, the Tempest series of trucks and 2 Altis Points of Interest: the ghost hotel and the stadium. We then unleashed the divine powers of Zeus multiplayer, which we've since seen used in many communities and in ways beyond what we had envisioned ourselves.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Happy New Year, Expansions menu survey, Quality Assurance

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Welcome to the new year! The Arma 3 team has returned from the winter break, and we're ready for another full year of development. While we were recharging, you certainly were not! Many of you made use of the Steam sale discounts and joined our growing ranks. Also cool to see were the huge amount of concurrent players during the holidays. For those who are new, we'll dedicate some paragraphs to introducing our development channels and game versions. Good to have you with us, recruits!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Update en-route, Job opportunities, Localization

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

We've begun prep for the first game update of this year: version 1.38. It will mostly be a maintenance update, gathering up all improvements, optimizations and fixes since the last update. However, we're also trying to include two things that can help many of you. Before going over them, we should point out that these are risky low-level changes. We'll be testing them more before making the final call. If they resolve one issue, but cause new ones, we may send them back to the incubator.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: 1.38 Release Candidates, Report In!, Vanilla or Modded?

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

The Release Candidate for update 1.38 has been on Steam for a few days. We've iterated it with several more fixes related to audio and inventory manipulation. If you'd like to still participate in the final stages of testing, you can switch to the RC branch using access code Arma3Update138RC. So far we're seeing increased stability (battling those PhysX crashes and other elusive instabilities). In terms of performance, our own measurements show it having increased at least slightly, but there are a few reports of dropped singleplayer frame rate. If you can reproduce a measured loss of performance between 1.36 and 1.38, please let us know. Make sure to verify your local files and defragment any non-SSD hard drive first though. It's also important to compare the situation between a vanilla version of the game and one with mods enabled. Larger scale multiplayer testing is even more interesting to us. This is something quite hard to accomplish even with our entire QA army involved. Internal tests and a few public sessions have gone well. We're currently optimistic about the update; the release window opens tomorrow afternoon (Czech Republic).

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Road map 2015, 33 things trailer, Weapon SFX

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Quite a bit has happened since last week's report, in a good way, we think! After rolling update 1.38 out the door, Creative Brit Jay Crowe summed up our 2015 plans for Arma 3 in his "Scanning the Horizon" blog. Summarizing it with just: #BIPODS wouldn't do it justice, but that is one major thing to take away from it. Another big reveal was the acknowledgement that work on a 3D scenario editor has started in earnest. Do take the time to read the full blog though. The first half takes a look back at 2014 and the accomplishments of that year. The rest describes more of our efforts for this year: the first Marksmen DLC details, concept art for one of its seven new weapons, weapon handling features, the ability to try vehicles in Virtual Reality Arsenal, other platform updates, a little about the expansion terrain, and more.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Dev-Branch activity, Server monetization, Make Arma Not War finalists

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Dev-Branch is starting to receive its early glimpses of Marksmen DLC work. The first wave of features going live for testing and tweaking are Firing From Vehicles Inertia and Turret Elevation. The former is more of an enrichment of a feature from Helicopters DLC of course, but we think it improves the feeling of using personal weapons from cargo spaces. The goal is to better translate the movement of the vehicle onto the shooter. We may yet be fiddling with the precise parameters that control the intensity of the feature, though a first iteration is ready for testing now. The second feature allows players to control the elevation of a turret, in addition to the usual rotation. The specific example here is the Strider armored car, which has a commander periscope that now can be raised and lowered to sneak a peek from behind concealment. Over the next weeks we'll probably be staging more Marksmen features to Dev-Branch, such as the improved Recoil and Weapon Resting.

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Director

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Firing from All the Things, Recoil Overhaul, Make Arma Not War Jury

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

With Our Dear Leader indisposed for the next couple of weeks, the honour of REPdating the community with development progress once again falls to a crack team of REPlacements (Pettka and yours truly). The puns only get worse from here on in, so buckle up!

Speaking of which, passengers using their weapons in vehicle cargo positions now face a bumpier ride, following the release of 'Firing from Vehicles Inertia' (FFV Inertia) to Dev-Branch. We outlined the basic goals of this feature last week. Now we're on the lookout for feedback. Two key values are open to tweaking: the magnitude of the sight misalignment (versus vehicle velocity), and the stabilisation of the aim-point (versus vehicle turning).

Full SITREP

Edited February 18, 2015 by pettka

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Director

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Resting & Recoil Incoming; AI improvements; Hello from the Environment Dept.

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

This week we're hoping to push two splendid (and related) features to Dev-Branch: Weapon Resting and Recoil Overhaul. Although we've dug into a bit more detail over the last week or two, it's probably worth outlining the basics once again. Weapon Resting provides 'passive' benefits to certain aspects of weapon handling, such as reduced sway. This 'rested' state is determined by a real-time algorithm that identifies situations where aiming would reasonably benefit from a stable firing position (e.g., when prone, leaning against a wall, resting on a low wall, etc.). Our Recoil Overhaul aims to make the mechanic more fluent by correcting some existing behaviour and rewarding the intelligent use of stances and movement speeds. Overall, this development contributes to our goal of making firing a weapon simple to do, and rewarding to master.

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Brit

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: 1.40 Inbound, Sounds Good to Me, Workshop Gospel

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

With update 1.40 just around the corner, a 'Release Candidate' was made available over the weekend, which we've recently updated with miscellaneous maintenance and stability tweaks. These 'RCs' use a special 'branch' of data and exes, which helps our team to validate the stability of our updates 'in the wild', before they roll out to everyone. It also enables content creators to ensure the compatibility of their own custom creations with the latest version of Arma 3 ahead of time. If you'd like to participate in the final stages of testing, open the 'BETAS' tab of Arma 3's Steam properties, and enter the access code Arma3Update140RC. Right now, we're primarily focused upon validating some tweaks to MP stability. The update itself is set to bring several interesting Dev-Branch features to all Arma 3 players; let's take a quick look at these now.

Full SITREP

[pettka 694]

FROM: Creative Director

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: 1.40 Release, Marksmen 'First Look' Livestream, Land 't Spam

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

After a few additional rounds of feedback / iteration, Update 1.40 was deployed yesterday. With it, our players can enjoy a whole host of tweaks, fixes, and new features. The gargantuan SPOTREP has the complete run-down, and we detailed some of highlights (including splendid new weapon sounds, 'telescopic turrets', and vehicle passenger inertia) in last week's royal correspondence. But wait, there's more! Arma 3 Tools, too, have received some love. Tweaks for Terrain Builder and new samples are just the tip of the love-berg; swing on by the TECHREP for Julien 'chef amant de l'outil' Vida's full love-letter.

Full SITREP

Edited March 10, 2015 by DnA

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Marksmen Sandbox Dev-Branch, "End Game" Early Access, Livestream Recording

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Are you ready to begin test firing the new Marksmen DLC weapons? You better be, because they have just landed on Dev-Branch! The majority of Sandbox content is there, including 5 new rifles, 2 new medium machine guns, 2 new scopes, and some sneaky surprises. While we continue our finalization of these assets, we look forward to your thoughts. Community feedback has made all previous releases better, so let's do the same for this huge milestone. Similar to when we staged the Helicopters DLC sandbox, there are some caveats. The branch does not yet include most of the playable content (showcases, challenges, VR training, etc.). The DLC is also not officially released on Steam's store, so you cannot buy it yet. This time around owners of the DLC Bundle and Supporter Edition should already have unrestricted access however. Enjoy tinkering with your new toys!

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Weapon Deployment Dev-Branched, Remote Designators, Collimator Tech, Stance Adjust Bindings

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

After a Herculean effort by Task Force Bipods, we flipped the switch on Weapon Deployment for Dev-Branch late last week. We should make it clear that we intentionally released the feature in a fairly rough state. There were and still are quite a few things we need to address before update 1.42 is rolled out. We felt however, that the extra time in your hands may let us iterate quicker, and prioritize better. Major tasks still in progress are: replacing of placeholder animation sets for various deployment heights, a more distinct difference between deploying with and without bipods, and simply getting stuck or glitching in certain areas. Taking that into consideration, we hope you enjoy this huge game-changer and leave any feedback you have in this forums thread.

Full SITREP

[DnA 5154]

FROM: Project Lead

TO: Arma 3 Users

INFO: Marksmen Release Date & Dev Diary, Extended Edition, Default Launcher, Workshop Transition

PRECEDENCE: Flash

SITUATION

Wednesday, April 8, 2015 - the date to mark in your calendars for the release of Arma 3 Marksmen DLC and its 1.42 platform update! That leaves us with a little over two weeks to disassemble the new weapons, inspect the parts, do a good cleaning, and polish them up for widespread use. To achieve this, we've upgraded our development Data Lock to strict. Cue the sound of some 60 developers crying. Where the packing of game data had already been restricted, they now have to request permission to do any work on the game. That may sound crazy, but it helps us greatly in this final stages. The smallest and innocent-looking change can make seemingly unrelated systems implode. This tool allows us to carefully track changes, quickly address issues and focus on the things that matter. Our next goal is to stage the entire Marksmen package onto Dev-Branch, meaning we'll add the playable content.

Full SITREP